You wake up to the smell of smoke in your home. It is late and before you can even determine what time it is, your bedroom is clouded with smoke. You need to get to the nearest exit and call 911.
We’re taught at a young age to “stop, drop, and roll” and call for help. Being in a situation like that, you remember that you need to find your way out and find safety. For first responders, such as firefighters, these situations are a reality. These dedicated men and women run into the flames to save lives and put out fires. On the sidelines of that scene are EMS personnel waiting for any victims that need medical attention. What you might not realize if you ever find yourself in that kind of situation is that those EMS workers just might have been coming off a 24-hour shift with little to no sleep.
They too put their lives on the line and do their very best to assist when disaster strikes. Police officers are often the first on scene and work around the clock to serve their communities and keep as many people as they can safe, despite recent opinions to the contrary. Police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers are the three main types of people that you may think of when categorizing first responders. These folks do play essential roles in the act of putting their lives in harm's way for the expense of others. These first responders deserve way more credit than what they are given.
Many people who call 911 might not think about how those firefighters and EMS workers came to be responding to an emergency. The truth of the matter is that most first responders need extensive training to be there. Another thing that most people seem to forget is that many first responders go through that extensive training and dedicate their lives to an organization completely as volunteer. Late-night calls, disasters, and death are everyday realities for these men and women.
How do I know this? I am one of the many dedicated first responders. I, too, spent countless hours in the classroom trying to become an EMS worker. My EMT course alone was 210 hours of classroom time, not including the additional clinical hours or the countless hours of studying for exams. Some critics may ask, “Why go through all of that?” I do it in support of the many men and women who, along with of me, work to keep others safe and help those in need.
In addition to police, fire and EMS personnel, there are a few others who play essential roles in first responding and being first on scene during crisis. Dispatchers, too, work long and lengthy hours to be the first people who relay critical information to the correct agencies. One wrong tone that goes over the radios or mixing up critical codes could greatly impact the outcome of a dangerous situation.
One word that comes to mind when thinking about all first responders is recognition. It’s a powerful word the most first responders don’t seek to receive but deserve to be recognized. Thank your local first responders the next time you see them, appreciate all that they do, and understand the commitment that each and every one has made to helping others.
